Death Notes

Newspaper Article – Tuesday March 4 1941
An inquest was held at Kirkoswald on Thursday on the body of David Allison Chambers, which was recovered from the River Eden the previous day.  Mr Chambers, who was 50 years of age and a single man, was employed on the railway, and just before Christmas he came north to stay for a time with sisters at Kirkoswald.  Mrs Hardie and Mrs Elliott (Sandhills).
Evidence of identification was given by Thomas Miller Hardie, brother-in-law, Garden Cottage, Kirkoswald and Mrs Annie Elizabeth Haddow.  The latter stated that the deceased had lived with her at Portsmouth for the past 27 years.  In October following an air raid, he had an illness principally nyn-on, and went into the hospital. Later his doctor advised him to go to Kirkoswald for a change of scene and he arrived on 28 December.  After the nine o’clock news on Monday night he left Mrs Hardie’s house to go to Mrs Elliott’s to sleep but did not arrive. 
P.C. Lockwood stated how on Wednesday afternoon he secured one of Colonel Featherstonhaugh’s boats and searched down the river Eden from Lazenby Bridge.  At Varey Hole he searched with a boat back and found the body in about eight feet of water underneath a waterlogged tree.  With the assistance of Mr Thomas Watson Kirkoswald, he recovered the body and conveyed it to the College. 
The coroner returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed.